Dark Months
by rogue-puppies
Summary: As the winter months draw closer, Persephone recalls her first encounter with Hades, knowing she still has to go back soon. One-shot.


**Dark Months**

I jerk awake with a scream. My eyes dart madly around the dark room. I almost expect to see him standing there, but I am alone. My chest heaves as I struggle to regain my breath.

It was only a dream, I thought, there's still at least a week until I must go back.

The bed sheets cling to my sweaty limbs as I struggle to get up. I gingerly put my gold sandals on as I walk out of my room. I need to get air, to feel the breeze, to see the moon. I need to live. It always amazes me how much people take for granted. I guess no one realizes what they have until it's gone.

The moon looks exceptionally bright as I walk out into the courtyard. The trees blow ever-so-slightly and in the breeze, which used to be so comforting, now sends chills down my spine. The wind catches my long hair and brushes it from my face as I close my eyes and take in the scenery. Mount Olympus was always so beautiful. I never really cherished it as much as I do now, especially since I must leave once again soon.

I kick off my sandals and dig my toes into the ground. The grass tickles at my toes as every now and then a grasshopper perches upon my foot. I know I'll miss that when I leave.

I fall to the ground and curl into a ball, never wanting to leave this spot, never wanting to leave the grass, or the trees, or the grasshoppers. I close my eyes, take in a shaky breath, and remember my unexpected journey that happened just a year past.

.:.

"_Persephone! Come on!"_

"_Oh sorry!" I plucked the beautiful orange flower I was looking at, and ran over to Artemis and Athena._

"_Can't we take a walk without you getting distracted by flowers and such all the time?" Athena said as she casually inspected her nails._

"_I know, I know. I'm sorry, but look at this one! Plus I haven't been outside all week. The rain really made everything blossom, though. It's beautiful, isn't it?" I said, placing the wet flower in my basket, full of an array of all kinds of plants. It had been raining all week, so I had to jump up at the chance to go pick flowers._

"_I guess it's alright. Demeter sure is making everything grow this year. The mortals will be happy about this," Athena said as she hastened her pace to catch up with Artemis, who didn't even bother to stop for me as I gathered flowers._

_As we walked, I took in everything around me: the way the sun's rays warmed my face, the cheerful chirp of the songbirds, and especially the warm autumn breeze. I took in a deep breath, smelling the sweet smell of the air, listening to my two dear friends chatter away at their latest adventures._

_Then something caught my eye: the most beautiful flower I had ever seen. I looked ahead at Artemis and Athena, both of whom were ahead of me._

'_I could catch up. I just need to get this flower. It will be the last one.' I thought to myself as I tried to rationalize why I would stop…again._

_I ran over to the purple lily. The drops of rain still clung to the petals, reflecting the sunlight, making it almost sparkle._

_A pit began to grow in my stomach as I sat there staring at the lily. I tried to stand back up, but I thought I really couldn't just leave._

'_Persephone, stop being ridiculous. It's just a lily, a simple, innocent lily. Why are you making such a big deal out of this?'_

_I shook my head and just grabbed the flower. Suddenly, a great chasm shattered the earth like a piece of glass. Black clouds rolled in so fast, it was like blowing out a candle. One moment, the birds were singing, and the sun was shining, then the next the world seemed to die._

_Cold rushed over me and settled in my bones. I heard thunder so loud it seemed to resound in my head, and it wouldn't go away. I looked around frantically, trying to see Artemis or Athena or anything, but no one was around._

_My stomach seemed to be doing flips inside me. I doubled over; trying to regain my thoughts as to what exactly was going on. The thunder only grew louder and more intense as the seconds wore on. I looked up at the sky, expecting to see lightening at any point, but none came._

_As soon as the beating sound became unbearable, two gigantic black stallions the size of elephants came bursting from the earth. That's when I realized it wasn't thunder I was hearing…it was the horses. They reared back and forth, thrashing about like the wild beasts they were. But their eyes…their eyes, I knew, were definitely the one thing I would remember for a long time. Black as night, they were eyes that knew hatred, and had no mercy. They were the eyes of the dead._

_Then the chariot the stallions were pulling burst forth from the earth. On it there stood the one god everyone knew but very seldom spoke of. Hades looked around for a moment, almost looking confused. It was the first time I ever saw him. Though he was standing in a chariot, he towered over everything, being at least seven feet tall. He carefully scanned the area with pointed features as his long black hair waved in the wind behind him. For a second I almost thought he could be good-looking, but then he appeared next to me and everything about him made my skin crawl. One moment he was on his chariot, and the next he was beside me._

_His voice was like a growl deep in his chest as he spoke, "Sweet Persephone. Come away with me, come with me to the underworld and be my wife for all eternity. I love you!" He grabbed my arm and started pulling me towards his chariot without even waiting for my reply._

"_Hades! No, what are you doing? Of course I won't be your wife! Let me go!" I tried scratching at his arms, chest, and face but to no avail. He twisted my arm and squeezed it harder the more I resisted. I could feel his fingers dig deeper in my skin as he pulled me onto the chariot._

_I tried kicking at his legs, or at anything to stop him from taking me. My heart pounded in my chest so hard, I thought it would burst. My head was spinning and my vision was beginning to blur._

'_No, no this can't be happening. Someone…help.'_

_I wept as Hades bent down. A demented smile appeared on his face. _

"_You don't have a choice," he said. He let out a deep chuckle and grabbed the reins to the stallions. "Hold on, Sweetheart. We're off to your new home."_

_.:._

_I awoke with a start. The back of my head pounded as if someone had dropped a hammer on it. I slowly opened my eyes and attempted to focus on my surroundings. I could barely make out a single thing, for my vision seemed cloudy and unfocused._

_I couldn't help but let out a groan as I pushed myself up off the cold, gray stone. My muscles screamed in protest as I got up into a sitting position. I hadn't the faintest idea where I was or how I had gotten there._

_No light shone in through the walls to give the place even one ounce of hope. I heard constant lashing of waves whipping onto the cold brick wall. But what surprised me is that other than the waves, I heard nothing._

_I felt something clutched in my hand. I brought it close to my face, but I could smell it before I could truly see it: the lily I had given up my life for._

'_That's right. Hades took me…' Tears started to well up in my eyes once again, but I quickly wiped them away. I needed to stay strong. I knew that. Crying wasn't going to get me anywhere._

_I leaned against the nearest wall and stood up. Then I heard a knock at the door. I turned to stare at the door, not really expecting whoever it was to stay out there. Then came a second knock._

"_Come in?" I said with a hint of uncertainty. Is that what they were waiting for?_

_The door opened slowly and Hades walked in looking tall, dark, and, most certainly, proud of himself._

_I narrowed my eyes and backed up against the wall so hard, I thought if I pushed any harder, I would tumble through to the other side._

"_Oh, don't look at me like that. Come now. You're a queen, we mustn't have you down here," he said as he held out a hand. I looked at it and then his face. I made no move to grab it, but he never gave the impression of being impatient. His mouth twisted up into a slight smile and when I looked at it, he gave me a small nod._

'_I am Persephone, daughter of Demeter, I mustn't be afraid now. I have to stay strong so I can get out of here.'_

_I slowly lifted my hand up and placed it in his._

"_Ah there we go. Now, come," he said. We walked out of the cold room, and out into a lavish hall. The ceiling must have reached thirty feet, and was held up by black marble pillars decorated with lilies._

_We were out of the hall before I could observe the lilies any more, to my disappointment. Our footsteps echoed in my head, and with each step I could almost hear the dead. It was so eerily quiet, goose bumps ran down my arm and I could feel the hair on my neck stand up._

_I didn't like this place, not one bit. But the sight when we walked outside, I could never forget. Hades opened the door, even a bit hesitantly for him, and invited me outside. Tears welled up as I saw the dismay and torment of the underworld._

"_Your new home," he said to me._

_The sky was dark red, streaked with wisps of black clouds. Continual gray smoke rose over hills and brushed the sky. But all around lifeless, tortured, horrified ghosts aimlessly roamed. Some would bump into each other, some would simply go in circles, and other would be on the edge of the great cliff leading into the River Styx, desperately searching for a way out. Their mouths contorted in such a way, it made them look as if they were constantly screaming, but still no sound could be heard from them._

_One slowly turned our way but I could not be sure if he actually saw. Where his eyes should be, only two fleshy black holes remained. But despite his lack of sight, he tried to make his way towards me and Hades._

_Hades pushed me inside quickly and shut the door behind him. He let out a deep throaty chuckle._

"_Sorry for that. They never pay attention to us gods, but maybe you're different."_

"_What…how could you let them live like that?" I practically screamed at him. I couldn't believe that this was the underworld. Sure I most certainly knew it wasn't the happiest place, but I never would have thought it was as heinous as it was._

"_Well, you forget, darling, they aren't living," he said with that smirk on his face, which only made me want to slap him._

"_You're horrible. I want to go home," I said as I crossed my arms around my chest._

"_Sorry, that I cannot do. Now, I prepared a feast in your honor." He didn't wait for me to reply; he only grabbed my forearm and tugged me along beside him._

_I reluctantly followed, carefully scanning the different halls and rooms we walked through. I thought maybe there could be a way out somewhere._

_Suddenly he stopped and a giant smile played across his lips. "We have a new arrival," he said with a hint of joy while continuing, "you're going to love this." _

_We went through a few more rooms and then we stepped into the throne room. Two identical chairs sat side-by-side on the far side of the room. They were decorated with many types of gems and jewels, more than I had ever known existed. They caught the light from the candles in such a way, it made the chairs themselves look iridescent and mystical._

_Hades dragged me over and shoved me into the seat next to his right, as he took his place._

"_Bring in the arrival!" His powerful voice boomed and echoed in the big room, which had the power to intimidate even the most unyielding of men._

_A door to my right opened slowly and in came a petite old man. He was in his 70s at least, and he didn't quite walk; his gait was more like a shuffle. He looked at the ground as he walked, but he knew where to stop. He stopped right in front of Hades' throne and turned to face him, though still looking at the ground._

"_Look at me," Hades commanded._

_The old man slowly lifted his head up, but winced at the sight of the god. He began to speak, "Please, please be kind to this old soul and not let me become like the others. I saw them as I came in, and I could not bear to become like that."_

_Hades said nothing and made no sight of moving, so the old man turned to me._

"_Please, kind, young, beautiful Persephone. I can tell you don't have it in your heart to let this old man __suffer any longer."_

"_What ails you? How did you die?" I blurted out. I had to know._

"_Demeter. She's not the same. She gave up on us mortals ever since you were stolen from her life. She cast the world into a barren land, with no crops and no heat to keep us healthy, we simply couldn't live." He took a small glance at Hades but kept speaking to me. "If you can get back to your mother, please, make haste."_

_My stomach dropped and my mind seemed to block everything out. 'My mother has given up on her responsibilities. How could she do this? No, I must get back to her soon, so people like this old man can still live.'_

_I opened my mouth to say something else, but Hades interrupted before I could get anything out._

"_You've said enough, old man," Hades said, but with none of the joy he had earlier. I could feel him tense up beside me as he stood up slowly. The old man flinched back and fell to the ground._

"_No, please," he begged._

_Hades whispered some strange words I couldn't make out. Then suddenly the old man let out a painful scream. His eyes widened so much; I thought they would pop out of his head. There was so much fear and agony etched on his face._

"_Stop! You're hurting him!" I said as I tried to stop Hades from continuing what he was doing. He didn't even glance at me as he slapped my face, causing me to fall to the ground. My hand instantly found my stinging cheek but I couldn't focus on me at that time. All I could do is stare at the old man._

_His back arched unnaturally. It looked as if he were almost folded completely in half. Blood spewed from his mouth as a coughing fit raked his whole body. His eyes found me, and slowly his mouth made the word 'please'. But then the light left his eyes and his body grew to be a weird shade of gray in just a few seconds. He stood back up in a trance, his mouth disfigured just as the other, as he glided across the floor to be outside._

_Hades' shoulders relaxed some, but then he turned to me._

"_Who do you think you are? I am king of the underworld, not you. You may be my queen, but I have authority here. This is how it always has been done, and this is how it will always be done. I've tried to be nice, I've tried to be comforting, but obviously that isn't helping you too much. I love you, I do, but until you learn your place, I won't be afraid of teaching it to you."_

_I put my hand up to my warm cheek again and looking away, blinking desperately to get my tears to go away._

"_Can I ask you a question?" I muttered._

"_What is it?" he asked, annoyed._

"_How long have I been down here?"_

"_Time here ceases to exist, so I can't say for sure. It's always different than above the ground. One minute here could mean a year up there, or only one second. But I would say a few months from what that old man said," he said as he grabbed my arm and yanked me up painfully and once again __dragged me beside him. "But we still have that feast I mentioned earlier."_

_I mindlessly walked, too numb to really feel anything. As we neared the dining room, delicious smells wafted out into the halls. We entered the dining room and I saw all my favorite foods there. How tempting it was to give in and eat everything._

"_Sit," he commanded and he motioned to a seat across the table from him._

_I sat on command, but couldn't take my eyes off the food. There was so much to choose from, from exotic and not so exotic fruits, olives, many types of cheese, and breads from all over the world._

_I grabbed a pomegranate nearest me. It looked so juicy and enticing. 'But if I eat anything, I'll have to be here for all time.'_

"_What's wrong?" Hades asked as he plopped an olive in his mouth._

_I gave him a weary look, afraid to say what was really on my mind._

"_Don't worry. You can eat that. It's not poison," he said as he grabbed the other half of the pomegranate. "It's delicious."_

_I looked down at the pomegranate on my plate and picked a seed out. 'One little seed won't hurt.' I thought to myself. I slowly placed it in my mouth and bit down. Sweet euphoria rushed over me, as I didn't realize how hungry I actually was, and sadly Hades was right. The pomegranate was delicious. I picked out a few more seeds and began to eat. Before I could get too many, the door flew open._

_Hermes stood in the doorway, but as soon as his eyes landed on me, a look of horror spread across his face._

"_Persephone! Don't eat that!" He flew over and smacked the pomegranate out of my hands. "How many of those seeds did you eat? How many?" He asked with such urgency, I instantly knew I messed up._

"_F-four seeds," I stuttered out._

_Hades sat across from me with a smile, and sat back in his chair while beginning to talk to Hermes, "Hermes, if you don't mind, I'm trying to have dinner with my new wife."_

"_Actually, Hades," Hermes snapped at Hades, "I've come to take her back. I've got a message from Zeus saying you need to release her, immediately."_

"_She already ate here, though," Hades said, standing up. "She can't leave." _

"_She ate pomegranate seeds. I hardly think that counts. Now come on, Persephone. We're leaving," Hermes said as he extended an arm out to me._

"_She's not leaving!" Hades smacked Hermes' arm away and stood in front of me._

"_Zeus commands it. You may be king of the underworld, but he's still king over you," Hermes said._

"_Then tell Zeus, for the four pomegranate seeds, Persephone must spend four months a year here, with me."_

_Hermes nodded and helped me out of my chair. Before I was completely out of the room, Hades said behind me, "See you in a year my sweet."_

_Shivering, I shook my head to try to regain control. I was so angry and so disappointed with myself for giving in and eating that pomegranate. If only I waited just a few more seconds, Hermes would have been there and I would never have to go back to that horrid place with that horrid god._

_The trip back home seemed to go by in a blur, for I had so many other things on my mind._

_I was about to see my mother again, I was going to be in the outside world again, I was going to see light and day. I shook with excitement. I was going home._

.:.

I say goodbye to all my friends, saving my mom for last. She always has a hard time when I must leave. I look around at all the beautiful scenery. The trees grew so much; they almost look like one with the sky. The grass is green and luscious. The crops have been growing nonstop, but now I know that it has to stop for four months.

"Persephone, dear, I love you so much. Four months will pass in a blur, and we'll be together again," my mother said to me as I gave her such a tight hug, never wanting to let go.

"I know, mother. I love you too," I choked out. As much as I try not to cry, I always fail. I let go of our embrace and turn around. I know I had lived and done so much more than I ever would have if I didn't have to go back. I live life to the fullest, but I can never really enjoy it because in the back of my mind, I always know I have to go back.


End file.
